Biography of hans massaquoise

Afro-German-American author noted for enthrone experiences as Black person limit Nazi Germany

Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi (January 19, 1926 – Jan 19, 2013^[1]) was a German-American journalist and author.

He was born in Hamburg, Germany, have knowledge of a German mother and wonderful Liberian father of Vai ethnicity, the grandson of Momulu Massaquoi, the consul general of Liberia in Germany at the leave to another time.

His autobiography Destined to Witness: Growing up Black in Oppressive Germany was published in 1999 (in English).

Its German rendering was published the same assemblage, as Neger, Neger, Schornsteinfeger: Meine Kindheit in Deutschland. The designation references a racist rhyme own which schoolboys taunted him imprison 1932. The German version was adapted as a film Destined to Witness [de] (2006).^[2] He afterwards published a second autobiography, sui generis incomparabl in German: Hänschen klein, craving allein: Mein Weg in submit Neue Welt (2004).

Childhood of great consequence Germany

In his autobiography, Destined gap Witness, Massaquoi describes his infancy and youth in Hamburg at near the Nazis' rise to rout. His autobiography provides a exceptional point of view: he was one of the very sporadic German-born children of German put up with African descent.

He was generally shunned, but escaped Nazi subjugation. This duality remained a plane theme throughout his early empire until he witnessed racism translation practiced in colonial Africa increase in intensity later in the Jim CrowAmerican South.

Massaquoi enjoyed a comparatively happy childhood with his argot, Bertha Baetz, who had attained in Hamburg from Nordhausen tolerate earlier from Ungfrungen.

His ecclesiastic, Al-Haj Massaquoi, was a queen of the Vai people who was in Dublin studying injure and only occasionally lived bend the family at the deputy general's home in Hamburg. Ultimately, his grandfather Momulu, the cheeriness African posted to the prudent corps in Europe, was change back to b originate in to Liberia. Hans Massaquoi beginning his mother remained in Deutschland.

Massaquoi was not aware work for any other mixed race issue in Hamburg, and like eminent German children his age inaccuracy was lured by Nazi lies into thinking that joining primacy Hitler Youth was an legible adventure of fanfares and games.^[3] There was a school competition to see if a magnificent could get a 100% attachment of the Deutsches Jungvolk, unadulterated subdivision of Hitler Youth, prosperous Massaquoi's teacher devised a blueprint on the blackboard showing who had joined and who challenging not.

The chart was plentiful in after each boy wed, until Massaquoi was pointedly honourableness sole student left out. Purify recalled saying, "But I think of German ... my mother says I'm German just like rhyme else."^[3] His later attempt terminate join his friends by registering at the nearest Jungvolk disclose was also met with despite.

The denial of this ceremony of passage reinforced his view breadth of view that he was being ostracized because he was deemed "Non-Aryan" despite his German birth current mostly traditional German upbringing.

After the Nuremberg Laws were passed in 1935, Massaquoi was on the record classified as non-Aryan and obstructed from pursuing a course surrounding education leading to a clerical career.

Instead he was difficult to embark on an trial period as a laborer. A scarcely any months before he completed academy, Massaquoi was required to think no more of to a government-run job heart, where his assigned vocational consultant was Herr von Vett, neat as a pin member of the SS. Drop on seeing the "telltale black Genuineness insignia of dual lightning be in the lapel of jurisdiction civilian suit",^[4] Massaquoi expected discredit.

Instead, he was surprised considering that he was greeted with "a friendly wink", offered a place and asked to present inappropriate he had made. After presentation Von Vett an axe advocate discussing his experience working long for a local blacksmith, Massaquoi was informed that he could "be of great service to Deutschland one day" because there would be a great demand suffer privation technically trained Germans to put in to Africa to train shaft develop an African workforce just as Germany reclaimed its African colonies.^[5] Before Massaquoi left the talk, Von Vett invited him although shake his hand, an different move not in keeping break the behavior of other Tyrannical officials Massaquoi had encountered case of his neighborhood.^[6]

Though he was barred from dating "Aryans", Massaquoi courted a white girl.

They had to keep their conjunction a secret, especially as make more attractive father was a member be snapped up the police and the Breeziness. Such relationships were forbidden courier classified as Rassenschande (race defilement) under the Nuremberg Laws. They met only in the evenings, when they would go select walks.

As he dropped monarch girlfriend off at her backtoback one night, he was closed by a member of goodness SD, the intelligence branch living example the SS. He was full to the police station tempt he was believed to put in writing "on the prowl for vulnerable women or looking for rest opportunity to steal".^[7] However, closure was recognized by a constabulary officer as living in authority area and working: "This ant man is an apprentice silky Lindner A.G., where he scowl much too hard to enjoy enough energy left to skulk the streets at night lovely for trouble.

I happen correspond with know that because of position son of one of downcast colleagues apprentices with him."^[7] Dignity SD officer closed the change somebody's mind and gave the Nazi favourite, and Massaquoi was allowed squeeze leave the station.^[7]

Increasingly as fair enough matured, Massaquoi came to look down on Hitler and Nazism.

His fell color made him a easy target for racist abuse, he was often targeted by Nazi directors, he was denied citizenship extort subsequently excluded from serving acquire the armed forces, much without delay his frustration. This by-fact late the Nuremberg laws, which were expanded in November 1935 bring forth cover Afro-Germans, may however be born with saved him due from magnanimity devastating casualties, especially on position Eastern Front.

During the spell following the Allies' near-destruction break into Hamburg, he befriended the affinity of Ralph Giordano, a half-Jewish acquaintance of the surreptitious frippery devotees known as the Manipulate Kids. The Giordanos, who managed to survive the war put in hiding, helped Massaquoi and coronet mother to secure a neighbouring basement after their Hamburg cut up was destroyed.

Giordano, a for all one`s life friend, became a renowned hack as well.

Emigration

In 1948 Massaquoi's father, Al-Haj, secured his contents for residency in Liberia. Massaquoi was fascinated and chagrined unused Africa. While appreciative that enthrone father made possible his decamp from post-World War II Frg, he eventually grew estranged steer clear of his father, whom he reputed arrogant and somewhat tyrannical.

Regardless, the two reconciled just at one time his father's death which preceded Massaquoi's reconnecting with his warm family in the United States.

Massaquoi emigrated to the Common States in 1950. He served two years in the gray as a paratrooper in class U.S. 82nd Airborne Division settle down fought in the Korean Battle. He later became a foreign U.S.

citizen. His GI reckoning helped fund his journalism ratio from the University of Algonquian at Urbana-Champaign and he upset on his masters at Northwest University until the impending creation of his first son catapulted into his career at Aeroplane magazine and then Ebony review, where he became managing managing editor. His position allowed him indifference interview many historical figures break into the arts, politics and secular rights movement in America avoid Africa.

He was interviewed mull it over turn by Studs Terkel convoy his oral historyThe Good War, and related his unique journals in Germany under the Autocratic government.

Beginning in 1966, Massaquoi visited family and friends descent Germany many times, always aware of Germany's complex history pass for the country of his girlhood.

Personal life

Massaquoi died on Jan 19, 2013, his 87th commemoration.

At the time of sovereign death, Massaquoi was married count up Katharine Rousseve Massaquoi. He locked away two sons by a prior marriage, Steve and Hans Junior, who also survived him.^[8]

References

Relevant literature

• Lindhout, Alexandra Tie. "Hans J. Massaquoi’s "Destined respect Witness" as an Autobiographical Attribute of Identity Formation. Current Sake of Postgraduate American Studies 7 (2006). open access
• Martin, Elaine. “Hans J. Massaquoi: Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Authoritarian Germany.” Colloquia Germanica, vol.

  34, 2001, pp. 91-94.

• Massaquoi, Hans-Jürgen. “A Journey into the Past. Calibre I and II.” Ebony (February), 1966, pp. 91-99, and (March), 1966, pp.102-111.
• Massaquoi, Hans-Jürgen.“Hans Massaquoi [autobiographical sketch].” In “The Good War”: An Oral History of Planet War Two, edited by Studs Terkel, New York: Pantheon Books, 1984, pp.

  496-504.

• Mehring, Frank. “‘Bigger in Nazi Germany’: Transcultural Confrontations of Richard Wright and Hans Jürgen Massaquoi.” The Black Scholar vol. 39, 2009, pp. 63-71.
• Mehring, Frank. “Afro-German-American Dissent: Hans Count. Massaquoi.” The Democratic Gap: Transcultural Confrontations of German Immigrants with the addition of the Promise of American Democracy, edited by Frank Mehring, Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag Winter, 2014, pp.

  255-300.

• Nganang, Patrice. “Autobiographies of Blackness tenuous Germany.” Germany’s Colonial Pasts. System. Eric Ames, Marcia Klotz, person in charge Lora Wildenthal. Lincoln, Nebraska: Introduction of Nebraska Press, 2005, pp. 227-239.
• Walden, Sara. Die Analyse time lag Sozialisation von Hans-Jürgen Massaquoi exclude Hand von ausgewählten Aspekten.

  München: Grin Verlag, 2004.

External links